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It’s no secret that the Irish rock and metal scene has been thriving these last few years, with older acts moving onto to bigger and better pastures while new bands continue to form and find their place. The Dublin based metalcore group A Night in the Snow are part of this new wave of younger bands. Formed in 2015 performing covers and finding their voice, the band has very recently started to write and record their own original music for their upcoming debut EP.

Scáth Na Déithe is a collaboration between Stephen Todd from Astralnaut and Cathal Hughes of Nautilus, and more recently Aeternum Vale. Given their relative backgrounds I expected a filthy slab of sludge/doom but instead what they’ve presented with this project is atmospheric black metal with touches of death and doom thrown in.

Combining equal parts Anathema, The Gathering and Isis, Cork natives Ealadha present to us their debut EP Limit of our Sight. The group have been working away, perfecting their sound since their inception evolving from the original instrumental sound to the ambient post-rock they play now.

Jackals is the last release from Galway’s technical thrash outfit Twisted Wrath. A step up from previous E.P. Madman’s Chorus, the bad aimed for a darker and grittier take on the traditional thrash blueprint.

Below the Hengiform is the first E.P and second release from Irish super group Malthusian. With members from Mourning Beloveth, Altar of Plagues and Wreck of the Hesperus, the band have made quite a name for themselves already with their immersive live shows, including a support slot to Behemoth and, more recently, Mayhem. Their music can best be described as blackened death/doom with some psychedelic/hallucinogenic elements to give it an uneasy feeling.

At this point young Irish metal band Afterlife to Ashes are no strangers to this site. Having originally reviewed their very first demo (a cover of the Slipknot classic ‘Eyeless’) and later on their first original track and video ‘Dahlia’, they showed some serious potential. They’ve proudly let people know that they’ve produced all their own music and videos so far, a commendable feat, but that can only take you so far and the band knowing this stepped into the studio to record their latest single ‘Insects’.

The local Irish scene has been growing and growing in recent years with the younger bands now lining up to find their place. If you’ve been keeping up with the new breed of Irish bands then you’ll know that one name that sticks out is Dublin based Call to Arms. The young band formed in the summer of 2013 and since then have been relentless working to better themselves and have really made a name for themselves as a formidable live act gaining a rabid fan base.

Hail the Tragedies of Man, the third album from Sonus Mortis, was released right at the end of November but lots of pushes and advertising from their side meant that it didn’t fall through the cracks. Sonus Mortis is the one man project from former Valediction bassist Keven Byrne, who handles all vocals, instruments and drum programming.

Trivium has always been a band who liked to switch up their music, with each album usually being a mix and match of heavy, thrash and metalcore. Their latest album Silence in the Snow is one that see’s vocalist Matt Heafy dropping the screaming completely along with all traces of metalcore. The result is one of their most melodic albums to date, with the music strongly rooted in traditional heavy and power metal.

Axecatcher are a melodic hardcore 4-piece from Derry. The group formed in 2011 and were quick to get and start gigging straight away. Their previous releases We Watch the Sun Burn and Sparks & Spears garnered rave reviews and the latest EP Common Blood looks set to follow suit.

Jenova (any video game nerd will appreciate how awesome this bands name is) are a young melodic death metal band from Dublin. They have impressed many with their earned work ethic, live shows (including earning a place in the semi-finals of the county’s Metal to the Masses shows) and early demo material.

A couple of weeks ago I reviewed the demo of a young Irish metal band called Afterlife to Ashes. While I could see the bands potential, there was little to tell of what the band were really like based off nothing but a cover track. Luckily the band has been busy recording some music since then.

Horrenda are a Dublin based black metal band formed by Darragh “Outis” O’Connor in 2015 after his departure from metalcore group Theories Divide. Originally a solo effort by Outis, he quickly released a pair of demos not long after forming, Echtra and Bellum Civile both released in September.